Jeremy UtleyEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

“Most teams leave the vast majority of their innovation potential on the table.” If you treat artificial intelligence like an oracle, you’ll likely be disappointed. But treat it like a teammate, and Jeremy Utley and Kian Gohar say you may be surprised by how useful a collaborator it can be. Utley, an adjunct professor at the Stanford d.school, and Gohar, a bestselling author and futurist, have studied how teams can use AI to generate more creative ideas and solve problems. Their research shows that tools like ChatGPT can unlock new possibilities, but only when teams know how to work with them. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Utley and Gohar join Matt Abrahams to discuss how to move beyond treating AI like a magic 8-ball and start using it as a creative partner for brainstorming and innovation. Takeaways: Treat AI like a teammate, not an oracle. AI becomes more useful when you actively collaborate with it, asking questions, building on responses, and using it as a partner rather than expecting one perfect answer. Better AI collaboration can unlock better ideas. Integrating AI into brainstorming and problem-solving can help teams expand their thinking, generate more possibilities, and tap into creative potential they might otherwise leave unexplored. Activity: Give AI a seat at the table. During your next brainstorm, treat AI as another member of the team. Ask it to contribute ideas, challenge the group’s assumptions, or suggest a direction no one has considered yet. Episode Reference Links: Jeremy Utley Jeremy's Book: Ideaflow Kian Gohar Kian's Book: Competing In The New World Of Work Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn , Instagram

A live SXSW panel on how employee complaints illuminate the path to organizational innovation. Wrong question: How can AI revolutionize productivity in my organization? Right question: What do my employees hate most about their jobs? For the Portland Trail Blazers, a winning game plan for AI implementation didn’t begin with a tech-first approach — it began with a talk-first one. “The whole concept was to talk about pain points," explains David Long, VP of Digital Innovation, describing the "Lunch and Launch" sessions where employees could openly share frustrations about their daily work. “People really enjoy talking about what they hate about their jobs,” says Christa Stout , Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, and as they did, they illuminated opportunities for optimization. “By getting this insight across the whole company, it is already opening our eyes [to how] we can potentially transform the business more broadly,” Stout says. In this special live episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , recorded at SXSW, host Matt Abrahams leads a panel with Long, Stout, and Stanford colleague Jeremy Utley , exploring how "catharsis catalyzes change.” For any team wanting to implement new technology or rethink workflows, these experts reveal how creating space for complaints can catalyze meaningful innovation throughout an organization. Episode Reference Links: Jeremy Utley David Long Christa Stout Ep.77 Quick Thinks: AI Has Entered The Chat – A "Conversation" with ChatGPT Ep.134 How to Chat with Bots: The Secrets to Getting the Information You Need from AI Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/compan

Ten essential communication strategies designed to elevate your skills. 2024 has been an incredible year for learning and growth, and as we head into 2025, there’s no better time to reflect on the skills and strategies that can shape our communication and careers. In this special episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Matt Abrahams takes us through ten standout lessons from the past year. These aren’t just ideas to remember — they’re practices to evolve with. From Priya Parker’s insights on generous authority to Huggy Rao’s call to cut through jargon monoxide, each concept highlights how small shifts in mindset and behavior can lead to big transformations. With actionable advice and real-world examples, this episode is packed with inspiration to help you Think Fast, Talk Smart , and communicate better in the year ahead. Episode Reference Links: Ep.174 Fix Meetings: Transform Gatherings Into Meaningful Moments Ep.164 Using "Pre-suasion" to Influence Others Ep.158 Hope for Cynics: Building Trusting Relationships through Communication Ep.156 Creative Communication: How Our Design Choices Illustrate Our Values Ep.148 Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard Conversations Ep.142 Power and Persuasion: Live Insights from Stanford Experts Ep.137 When Words Aren’t Enough: How to Excel at Nonverbal Communication Ep.138 Speak Your Truth: Why Authenticity Leads to Better Communication Ep.134 How to Chat with Bots: The Secrets to Getting the Information You Need from AI Ep.131 Friction Fixing: How to Use Obstacles to Your Advantage Ep.120 A Few of Matt’s Fa

Join Matt Abrahams with creativity and innovation experts Jeremy Utley and Kian Gohar to explore the transformative potential of AI in the realms of creativity and problem-solving. If you treat artificial intelligence like an oracle, you’ll likely be disappointed. But if you treat it like a teammate, Utley and Gohar say you’ll be surprised just how helpful a collaborator it can be. Utley, an adjunct professor at the Stanford d.school, and Gohar, a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and futurist, have researched how teams can integrate AI into existing workflows to generate more creative ideas and streamline problem-solving. As they’ve found, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT can be powerful tools for innovation. But without knowing how to implement them, “Most teams leave the vast majority of their innovation potential on the table,” Utley says. In a new white paper, he and Gohar illuminate the path teams can take to use generative AI as a “conversation partner” and transform their brainstorming efforts as a result. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Utley and Gohar discuss how innovators can stop viewing AI as a magic 8-ball, and start treating it as a companion — one ready to roll up its sleeves and dig deep for new ideas. Episode Reference Links: Jeremy Utley Jeremy's book: Ideaflow Kian Gohar Kian's book: Competing In The New World Of Work Ep.70 Ideas Fuel Innovation: Why Your First Ideas Aren’t Always the Best Ep.77 Quick Thinks: AI Has Entered the Chat Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn , <a href="https://www.instagram

What’s the secret to coming up with good ideas? For Jeremy Utley , it’s about generating as many as possible. The director of executive education at the Stanford d.school, Utley says, “very few problems we face in business or in life have a single right answer.” All ideas — the good, the bad, and the ugly — are “a necessary input to an innovation process,” and an essential step in getting to solutions that will actually work. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Utley and host Matt Abrahams explore how we can focus less on finding the “right” answer and open ourselves up to more innovative ideas. Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn , Instagram , YouTube Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn ******** Thank you to our sponsors. These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost. Unleash your Superhuman potential with AI that meets you where you work. Learn more at superhuman.com Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.